Pritzker calls for resignation of Illinois sheriff after Sonya Massey shooting

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) has called for the resignation of a sheriff in his state following the killing of Sonya Massey in July after she called 911 for assistance.

“I called for the sheriff’s resignation because the sheriff has failed,” Pritzker said at a bill signing Wednesday of Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell. “He has failed to explain how he ended up hiring this deputy sheriff who has been fired from other departments. He failed to put forward reforms that clearly need to be made, training and other reforms. And, still, has failed to meet with the Massey family.”

Pritzker’s press office later said in an email to The Hill that the Illinois governor “misspoke” on the comment about the sheriff’s deputy being “fired from other departments.”

“What he meant to say was resigned from other departments,” the office said.

Massey, a 38-year-old Black woman, could be seen in body camera footage being shot three times in her home by Sean Grayson, a Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy. The incident sparked outrage among many, including Vice President Harris, who said that Massey “deserved to be safe” in a previous statement.

“After she called the police for help, she was tragically killed in her own home at the hands of a responding officer sworn to protect and serve,” Harris said. “[Second gentleman Doug Emhoff] and I send strength and prayers to Sonya’s family and friends, and we join them in grieving her senseless death.”

The vice president also pushed for Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.

“Our thoughts are also with the communities across our nation whose calls for help are often met with suspicion, distrust, and even violence. The disturbing footage released yesterday confirms what we know from the lived experiences of so many — we have much work to do to ensure that our justice system fully lives up to its name,” she said.

Pritzker called “not” meeting Massey’s family “outrageous” at the Wednesday bill signing. 

“At a minimum, listen to them,” Pritzker said. “Hear them, and then, hopefully, take action.”

Campbell said in an emailed statement to The Hill that he has “requested to meet with the Massey family through intermediaries designated by the family” four times.

“I was overwhelmingly elected to lead the Sheriff’s Office through both good times and bad,” the sheriff wrote. “I am fully prepared to continue leading my office and serving the residents of Sangamon County through this difficult period, ensuring we learn from this tragedy and work toward a better future.”

In a separate email, the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office said that “Grayson was not fired from a previous law enforcement job, which is verifiable through a review of his personnel file and documents and statements provided to Sangamon County by his previous employers.”

Updated Aug. 8 at 12:40 p.m.